Webster County triple murder trial underway

SUTTON, W.Va. — Testimony is scheduled to begin Wednesday morning in Braxton County Circuit Court in the triple murder trial of a Webster County couple.

Michael and Amanda York allegedly killed Dustin Brown, Lamar Allen and Denise Coates in June 2012. Two of the three bodies were found in the Yorks’ yard near Hacker Valley.

The trial began Tuesday morning in Sutton with opening statements. The case was moved to Braxton County because attempts to choose a jury in Webster County failed.

The 12-member panel traveled to the murder scene Tuesday afternoon. The prosecution is scheduled to begin calling its first witnesses Wednesday morning.

Amanda York originally told police she was home alone when the three came to her residence and threatened her and she shot them in self-defense. York later told police she and her husband had been in an argument with the other three at another house earlier in day. She said the three then came to their home and the argument continued.

Previous reports said the Yorks’ five-year-old child told police Michael York fired the deadly shots. Police arrested Michael York near the Amma exit on Interstate 79.

Jeff Jenkins

The award-winning native of Pratt, W.Va, took over as head of the news division of MetroNews in August 2000.

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Comments

M. York

Ok. The convicted is actually my uncle. Im not going to justify any actions other then if it was your family, you would freak if your two convicted family members were charged seperate.

September 3, 2014 at 6:26 am |

brittany clayton

it is messed up that they let mr and mrs york set on the same bench together all hugged up. they shouldnt even be allowed to see each other. i just hope and pray that justice is served!!! R.I.P Dustin. i miss u buddy!!!

September 20, 2013 at 4:31 pm |

Ellie Weldon

I wouldn't trust a single person from Braxton Idaho, seems anything I hear from there is nothing but bad. People scamming other people by using pups to sell and actually they don't they just steal your money btw known in the electronic world as Margie Norris and skyway relocations and using someone's English bulldog pups and murder now for such a small area the police must be extremely busy dealing with lowlifes who love to ruin other peoples life even 4 year olds who have been through a lot of tuff challenges already. Such a sad community that needs better law enforcement. I would give those people proper conviction so other have proper justice they deserve.

September 19, 2013 at 7:57 am |

Sherry V

This is Braxton County, West Virginia

September 19, 2013 at 8:17 am |

Lynn Frazier

God will help you boys rest in peace, he will give us the knowledge to punish those that hurt his children.

September 18, 2013 at 11:52 pm |

Sherry Valure

Also, the Yorks were not (and did not state) that they were in an argument with the three victims earlier in the day. They were in an argument with Lamar Allen and Denise Coates earlier in the day. Dustin was not involved in the initial argument. He just went along in the end to help a friend move appliances.

September 18, 2013 at 10:08 pm |

Donna W.

did you email this tot he guy who wrote the article? So he can correct it?

September 18, 2013 at 10:23 pm |

Jeannie Carlile

Why on God's green earth would a judge allow these killers sit together or even be in the same courtroom together as this trail proceeds?!?! First of all to allow the mother of the deceased to sit there and watch the two that killed her son...cuddle in the court is beyond comprehension! Second...Why is there not two separate trails! The man that killed and the wife that tried to covered it up! Killer should be tried and then the wife should be tried. She is just a guilty as the husband but did not pull the trigger. There should be different charges...different trails! The courts systems has really let the people, families and love ones down and this is just a good example! It is as if they are protecting the criminals! They have rights they say...well what about the family and their RIGHTS and their LOSE! WV I suggest you make some noise....there is nothing right about what is going on in this courtroom! WHAT IS NEXT...The court let's them share the same cell so they can eat, sleep and live happily ever after while the taxpayers pay for it! GIVE ME A BREAK! VERY DISRESPECTFUL AND TOTTALLY UNBELIEVABLE! Grrrrr!